Box-making machine.



A. E. HOLMES. BOX MAKING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 30, 1910,

4 SHEETS-SHEBT 1.

A. E. HOLMES.

BOX MAKING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 30, 1910v 4 SHBET8SHEET 2.

Patented Dec. 31,1912.

3n ue nioz A. E. HOLMES.

BOX MAKING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 30, 1910.

1,048,534. Patented Dec.31,1912.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

( 1 woe mfoz A. E. HOLMES. BOX MAKING MACHINE.

APPLIOATION nnnnnnn PT. 30, 19101 1,048,534, Patented Dec. 31, 1912.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

M @51 (an 5110111121 I;

ARTHUR E. HOLMES, OF PITTSFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS.

BOX-MAKING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 31. 191 2.

Application filed September 3t), 1910. Serial No. 584,617.

To' all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ARTHUR E. Homrss, acitizen of the United States, and a resident of Pittsfield, in thecounty of Berkshire and State of Massachusetts, have invented certainnew and useful Improvements in Box- Making Machines, of which thefollowing is a specification.

The invention relates to improvements in box-making maehineshavingparticular reference to machines for covering paper boxes of thecharacter used for holding writing paper and envelops, or other articlesof merchandise, and said invention consists in the novel features andcombinations of parts hereinafter described, and particularly pointedout in the claims.

Machines have heretofore been constructed for applying the tinted orornamental or .plaincovering paper to paper-boxes, but one. materialobjection to these machines, or their product, has been that in thedrying of the adhesive substance securing the covering on the box, thetop of the box has had an almost irresistible tendency to concave orwarp inwardly, thus disfiguring the box and rendering it unfit for use.This objection to boxcovering machines has been so well recog} nized,that separate machines or devices have been provided in an attempt toremedy the same and to dome the, top of the box or convex the sameoutwardly.

The object of my invention is to provide a machine which will both applythe covering paper to the box and dome the top of the box at oneoperation, thus completing the manufacture on one machine and in oneoperation thereof and avoiding the concaving of'the tops of the boxes orthe employment of separate machines or devices for correcting the boxesor doming the tops thereof.

In accordance with my invention, the box and its .covering blank areintroduced to the machine, and the product discharged from the machineis a box properly covered and domed and requiring no further treatmenteither to make it presentable or capable of use.

- The invention will be fully understood from the detailed descriptionhereinafter presented, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings,in which:

Figure 1 is a front elevation, partly btkeji'iaway and partly insection, of a machinea'edtistrueted in accordance with and embodying theinvention, the parts of the machine being shown in their initialrelation to each other ready to receive abox and its covering blank;Fig. 2 is a vertical section on a larger scale of theform-planger-blocks and platen. with the box shown as having thecovering thereon and in process of being domed, said form-blocks beingshown in their lower position against. the platen with the top of theinverted box against the platen; Fig. 3 is a perspective view showingthe two parts of the lower fornrblock separated fronieach other. Fig. 3being presented to clearly illustrate the interior construe 'tion ofsaid block. which is one of tie tea "tines of my invention; Fig. 4 adetached perspective view of the platen against which the top of theinverted box is pressed by the flornrblock shown in Fig. 3; Fig. 5 is atop view of the lower f rm-block; Fig. (3 is a top view of the lowersection of the lower formblock; Fig. 7 is a sectional view through aportion of the lower forinbloek taken on the dotted line 77 of Fig. 5;Fig. 8 is a detached top view of an electric heater-which in practice issecured to the lower surface of the upper section of the lowerform-block, as shown in Fig. 3; Fig. 9 is a-seetional view, partlybroken away, through a lower part of the machine taken on the dottedline 99 of Fig. 2; Fig. 10 is a vertical section on the dotted line lO-lt) of Fig. 2 Fig. 11 is a perspective view of the inverted box to becovered and domed, the box being shown as centered on the coveringblank; Fig. 12 is a like view of the same, showing the sides of theblank as having been folded upwardly against the'sides of the box andextending Slightly beyond the horizontal and vertical edges of the same;Fig. 13 is a like view of the same, showing the vertical'endedges of thesides of the blanks as folded in against the ends of the box; Fig. 14 isa like view of the same, showing the ends of the blank as folded upagainstthe ends of the box; Fig. 15 is a like view of the same, showingthe edges of sides and ends of the coveringblank as folded over theedges of and within the inverted box; Fig. 16 is a vertical longitudinalsection of the covered inverted box prior to the doming of the top ofthe same,

and Fig. 17 is a like section of the same after the doming operation hasbeen completed,

Fig. 17 showing the finished box as c0mpleted in one operation of themachine of my invention.

The machine shown in the drawings of this applhration, except for thefeatures of my im entiou having to do with the doiniug of the top of thebox, is substantially the machine shown and described in detail inseveral Letters Patent: heretofore granted to Philip S. Smith, to-wit:No. 691,329 granted January 14, 1902, No; 744,122 granted November 17,1903, and No. 778,805 granted December 27, 1904. The method and meansemployed by me for folding the side and end tlaps of the covering blankagainst the sides and ends of the box and folding the outer edges of thesaidflaps inwardly upon the edges of and into the box are substantiallythe same as those disclosed in the aforesaid patents and therefore willrequire no special description herein. I have herein shown my inventionas embodied in the machine of the aforesaid patents. In the use of themachine shown in said patents the covering blank is etlicientlyap )liedto the box but the box leaves the machine pwit h a flat top, which onthe drying of the" adhesive sub stan'ce by which the covering isattached to the box, very freque-i'itlyconcaves, thus do stroyingthe apearance of the box and rendering it unfit or commercial uses in which a.handsome box is essential. The covering blanksapp'lied to the boxes areof artistic character and their-effect:- is-destroyed when on boxeshaving sunken or warped in tops. My invention while utilizing thecovering mechanism of the aforesaid patents, comprises means for domingand drying the box, so that when it leaves the machine it is .a finishedbox of permanently good appearance-and requirin no further treatment.

My invention, t erefore, resides more particularly in thecombination'with the coverblank folding mechanisms, of a novel formblockand a novel platen for cooperation therewith, the box being inverted andplaced on the form-block and with the cover-blank adhering. theretomoved downwardly between the said folding mechanisms and against saidplaten, whereby the box he- .comes covered and'domed, as will be morefully understood from a consideration of the special cdnst-ruct-ionbfthe said novel formblock and platen. The form-block is des-.

ignated by the numeral '20 and comprises a lower member or block 21 andan upper member or block 22, both of which are preferably hollow and theupper block preferably being a rectangular shell open at its top. Thelower block 21 has a downwardly convexed lower surface and an up orcover ing section 23 to the lower side 0 which is secured an electricheater 24 which is con.- fined within the chamber formed in said block21. p I utilize the. lower convex surface of the block 21 for doming'thebox and the heater 24, for drying the adhesive. substance by which thecovering is secured to the box and to set the. dome of the box. The boxbrushes 25 and rollers 26 which fold the side flaps of the blankupwardly against and cause them to become aflixed to t-he sides of thebox, brushes 27 for engaging and folds ing in the ends of the'sideflapsof the covering-blank, and end brushes 28 and rollers 29 for foldingtipwardly the end flaps of the covering blank and causing them to adhereto the ends of the box, all as fully described in said Patent 778,805After the side andend flaps of the cover-blank have been applied to thebox, the box reaches a position.

at which the upper projecting portions said flaps are forced inwardly bythe edgetuck-in-fingcrs 30, while at the same time yieldingpresser-blocks'31 engage and aid in sustaining the rigidity of the box,all-:as described in detail in said Patent 778,805iand in Patent744,122. It should be statedtbat during the descent of the form-blocks21, 22, they move together until the lower surface of the upper block'is near "to the. tuck-infingers 30, at which time the upper block 22becomes arrestedand the block- 21 continues to descend, whereby saidblocks become sufliciently separated to enable said -t uck-infingers toperform their work, as illustrated by dotted lines in Fig. '1 of saidPatent 744,122. After. the ttickdn-fin'gers have folded or tucked in theprojecting edges of the blank horizontally over the edges of the box,the upper block 22 is released to drop and rest on said tuck-in-fingers,whereupon the latter are retracted and the block 22 moves down onto theblock 21'and .within the box,.numbered 100 in Fig: 2, and folds down thepreviously tucked-in edges of the blank against the interior-of thesides and endsof the box, thuscompleting-the covering of the box.

I do not deem it necessary to describe in detail the construction andoperation of the several devices for applying the sideQand end flaps 0fthe cover-blank tpthe box, since these features andtheir operativeconnections are in themselves well-known tothe art and described atconsiderable length in the patents to which I have referred. I

The two parts'of my form-block 20 are connected up and operated bysubstantially the same means fully described in the aforesaid patentsfor imparting a reciprocating movement to the two-part form block setforth therein, such movement being rclative to the covering devices. Thelower One of the desirable features of the platen i part 21 of myform-block is etmnected by a rod 32 and StSttl'0W {l3 and the upper part22 of said block is secured-., on the lower ends of the verticalparallel'rods 35. The center of the upper part 22 is open and free otthe rod 15; The

rods 35 are movable vertically in and ini dependently of the plunger 34.The rods 36 are the customary stripper rods conne ted to a yoke 37secured to the lower ends ol the usual vertically movable rods 53 Therod 32, plunger 34, rods rods 36. yoke 37 and rods 38 are shown anddescribed in said Patent 744,122 and, as explained in said patent,receive their movements from a cam 39 and pivoted levers 40. 41., saidcam being on a vertical shaft 42.

The novel features of the fornrbloclt 21 reside in said block beinghollow and con taining an electric heater 24 and in the lower end orsurface of the bloelt being convexcd downwardly. so as to elleet theproper doming, of the box.

The platen with which the form-bloclt 21 cooperates is numbered 43 andshown more clearly in Figs. 2 and 4. comprises a plate 44 upon which ismounted a rectangular frame 45 having ilownwardly and inwardly beveledupper surfaces and which late 44 is mounted on springs l4; Wl'lld] ave ahearing at their lower end 0n a-plate 47, which has its hearii'ig on thestandard-sleeve 48. Bolts 49 are secured to and extend downwardly fromthe plate 41 and pass loosely through the plan;- t2, '1 the lower sideof which the bolts are pro-- vided with nuts 50. The springs to are onthe bolts 49 and confined between the plate 44, 47 and they yieldinglysupport the plate 44 and resist the downward pressure of the form-block21 against the platen structure. The lower downwardly yielding plunger51 extends upwardly through the sleeve 48. plate 47 and plate 44 and hason its upp r end a presser plate 52 thereto fastened by a stud 53 andscrew 54. After the cone pletion of the box the lower plunger 51 movesupwardly a proper distance with the upper plunger 34 or until the boxltltl has assed substantially beyond the coverlilank applying devices.and then the upper plunger 34 continues its upward movement to theinitial or boxqeceiving and ejecting osition, the form-block finallyleaving the nished box and the latter,remaining on the platen, fromwhich it is removed automatically or otherwise. The plate l7 is centeredwith the plate 44 by mean. of the 2 bolts 49, and the plate 47 isdefinitely posi tioned on the sleeve 48 by means of thel downwardlyextending fingers or bars .35, which are adjustably seemed to said plate47 and straddle the branch 56 of the said sleeve 48.

to the plunger 34.

The platen 133;

l l?) is the frame 45 which, as shown in Fig. i. by being beveleddownwardly and in- I wardl v. is engaged by the box 100 only at 3 theextreme outer edges of the latter. wherel by the tornrblot-l; 21 isenabled to successi l'uily dome the box and the cover thereon isprevented from becoming disfigured by ithe platen. The upper part of theplaten :43 is hollow or open to receive the lower plunger or presserplate 52 and the lower t-onvex portion of the lower forni-l'iloelt 2].The operation of the machine embodying my invention will be understoodby those familiar with the art without extended additional description.A box 100 to be cover d is rentered as usual upon the roverblank ltllupon which the adhesive sub- :ltllni has been applied. and the box theninserted upon the form-block 20. The plunger 34 and lornrbloekthendescenththe renter of the box meeting the then elevatedplunger-plate or auxiliary presser 52. whereupon the form-block. plunger34 and lower plunger rod Ill all (lt .t'tllll together to carry the boxand its rover-blank be tween the devices whi h etleet the application fthe side and end {laps of the blank to the box. as hereinbet'oreexplained. l'pon the t'orin-bloi-lt' nearly reaching the platen 43. theouter portion of the then flat end of the box will engage theplaten-frame -13 and heroine arre-de'd thereby and thereon. and theform-block continuing its downward imovement carries its lower convexportion into th open center of said frame and below the edges of theframe engaged by the outer portions of the box. with the result, asshown in Fig. 2, that the top of the inverted box is foreed downwardlywithin the platen 43 and compelled to talt'e the shape of the convex endof the lot'iielilo(-l Will-("ll i the purpose I desire. to aecoin'ilish. The box is pressed between the term-block and platen. \lll] theline of" contact pressure being alone theonter edges of the box and thel wer and of the form-block, due to its convexity. foreingthe end of thebox to dome or convex outwardly. In Order to perfei-t the domingoperation and to dry the adhesive substance used. to secure theeoveriugdilanlt and to set the convex outline imparted to the box by theform-block, H) that th same may be uniform and permanent. I malte use ofthe eleetric heater 24 to heat the l'ornrblock and enable it to heat thebox thereon. After the box has been completed the lower plunger 51,auxiliary presser 52 and fornrblocl: all ascend together to theirinitial positions shown in upon arriving at which the box will have beenstripped from the t't'iri'ndiilock and h-lt to be ejerted from the plateor presser .32 in a manner well understood in this art l as by anejector r d 70.

My invention provides a machine of the class described in which thecovering and doming of a box may be accomplished at each operation ofthe machine, whereas heretofore so far as I have been able to ascertain,there has been no machine for attaining this result.

My invention is not necessarily limited to the use of a two-partform-block, since in this art a one-part form-block may be used when thecovering-blank is not to be folded against the interior surfaces of thebox.

hat I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters-Patent, is:

1. In a box-coveringand doming machine of the character described, thecombination with a reciprocating plunger having a formblock on its endto receive a box to be covered by an adhesive blank partly attachedthereto and extending laterally at its sides and ends therct'roin', ofcovering devices between which vsaid block and blank move for foldingand pressing the projecting sides and ends of said blank against thesides and ends of the box, and a platen independent thcieof againstwhich the covered box is pressed and which platen is concaved to engagethe box only at its outer edge portions .t'or (loll'ling the samewithout (ilistiguring said cover, said form-block having a convex facefor aiding in dinning the box and heatmg; means for drying the adhesivesubstance carried by the covering-blank.

2. In a box-covering and doming machine of the character described, thecombination with a reciprocating plunger having a form block on its endto receive a box to be covered by an adhesive blank extending laterallyat its sides and ends therefrom, of covering devices between which saidblock, box and blank move for folding and pressing the projecting sidesand ends of said blank against the sides and ends of said box, ayielding resser-plate (52) separate from said covering devices in thepath. of said form-block for keeping the said blank centered against thebox, and a platen below said covering devices and said presser-plateagainst which said covered box is pressed and which is open at itscenter to receive said presser-plate and concaved to engage the box onlyat its outer edge portions for doming [llC'StlITlG Without disfiguringsaid cover, said form-block having a convex face for aiding in doiningthe box and heating means for drying the adhesive substance -arried bythe covering-blank.

Signed at Pittsfield, in the county of Berkshire and State ofMassachusetts, this 26th day of September A. D, 1910.

ARTHUR I HOLilVIES.

Witnesses F. L. LIPSEY, P. H. MUGLER.

